As a "O.T." kid I loved this movie, all the small call backs to A New Hope were awesome and they were done right, they were not "ham-handed" and they did not feeling like fan service to me.
I fell in love with all the characters so quickly and that just made me care about them more and to me that is a sign of a great director and a great story teller. So, I say great job Gareth Edwards, great job.
I don't want to give any spoilers away, so I don't think there is anymore I can say without spoiling it. So, if you haven't seen Rogue One: A Story Wars Story yet........ what are you waiting for?